The NPR curious listener's guide to classical music

269 Pages·2002·9.47 MB·english

by  Tim Smith

The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to
Classical
.Music
TIM SMITH
AGrand CentralPressBook
APerigeeBook

The NPRCurious Listener's Guide to
Classical
Music

The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to
Classical
.Music
TIM SMITH
AGrand CentralPressBook
APerigeeBook
" Perigee Book
Puhhshed byThe Berkley PubhsluugGroup
Adrvrsion of Pengum Pumain lnc
H5 Hudson Street
Ne-w Vork, :\ew York 10Cl14
Produced by Grand Centra] "re«
Paul Forgas. Director
.Iudy Pray. Execunve Ed11",
l\lC'k\',orst,Series Ed,tOJ
NATIOi'o,\L PUII.le II.-\I)j(I
Murray Horwuz, Vrce-Presidenr,Cultural Programming
Andy Trudeau Execuuve Producer,Culmral Programming
BenjammRoe, Senior Producer,Special Projecr-, Cultural Programrmng
Barbara A Vrerow. Project \Ja"ager, Bus"IC" Developrnen.
Kate F.lhOtl, PrO)E"f:( \lanagpr, Rll,)H1f'S~1)f'\r\oplnPIlI
NPR, opr, and Nanonal Public Hadlo'HPSp')\'I('P marks01 '\;\t1onal P\lhhr.Harhn, lnrI
and may not bpused wuhnut thppp.rrlll')!ann of ,PR.
Copynght© JOCl9- by (hand Cenrral Press and 'vanonal Puhlll' Radar>
TextcleSlgnby 'I.ffany K"k,"
Cover rleSlgn by .lrll Boltm
f:"\,("f art 11)" Dau R~xtp.r
All nghts re-served Ttus book, or part' thereof
may not be reproduced tII anv form wnhour permlc;colOJl.
VISH our wf"ho;1tp at www.pt;ngmoIIlHnamr-om
Smith,Trm
The NPR cuneusl",eupr',glllde Ir>r]ass",,,1music/ Tirn Srmth
p CIll
Includes Index
ISBN 0·399·52795 Il
I Musicapprec,aw,n I "atlonal Puhhc'Rad,o It.'S) 11 T,tle
MT90 565 2009-
7111n'Il' ·rlc21
20010551n2
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Contents
Acknowledgment" vii
Foreword IX
Introduction xi
1. What IsClassical Music? 1
2. TheStoryofClassical Music 7
3. Varieties of Classical Music 33
4. Classical Music Deconstructed 51
5. TheComposers 87
6. ThePerformers 1:/7
7. TheMusic 151
8. Classical Music onCD 191
9. TheLanguage ofClassical Music 215
Resources for Curious Listeners 227
Index 233

Acknowledgments
My thanks, first of all, to the late music lustoriau and photo
archivistOUo Bdllnallll,'wllO kept encuuraging me to write a
hook; I'm sorry it Look me so long to folluw his advice. And
thanks tu my parlner, Hobert Leiuinger, for pushing me to
finish the product and helping' me ill various waysdurillg the
process.
Another round of th.mks tu my editor, Nick Viorsi, for his
remarkable pat.ir-uce alld good judgment. Aud to Michael
Tilson Thomas tor his invaluable foreword, 1I0t to mention
the Illauy years of inspiration his ever-curious musical mind
has given me. I also grt·atly appreciate all the folks at NPH,
especially Bell Hoc, who endorsed my participation III this
project.